Baseball batting trainer

ABSTRACT

The batter training device attaches an ankle strap on the batter&#39;s forward ankle to a weighted sack on the side of home plate opposite to the batter. A cable placed over home plate connects the sack to the ankle strap. As a fast ball is pitched through the strike zone the weight attached to the batter&#39;s ankle inhibits the batter&#39;s involuntary reflex to draw away from the ball and ruin the batter&#39;s swing. Repeating this training with the device enables the batter to overcome or cope with this undesirable involuntary reflex. The weight in the sack, however, is not so great that it will prevent the batter from ducking away from a wild pitch outside of the strike zone in order to avoid injury. The device also can be used to restrain the batter&#39;s rear ankle, or the weighted sack can be attached to restrain both of the batter&#39;s ankles.

This is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/456,522 filed by Walter M. Lentz, Jr., who is the sole inventor of claims 1 through 6, inclusive, in the '522 application and claims 1 through 8, inclusive, in this application, for which applicant also claims the benefit of the '522 application filing date.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

NAMES OF PARTNERS TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

None

REFERENCE TO “SEQUENCE LISTING”

None

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a baseball batter training device for attachment from one or both of the batter's ankles to at least one weighted sack on the opposite side of home plate that conditions the batter to overcome a natural reflex to draw away from a fast ball pitched through the strike zone, and the like.

Baseball and softball batter training devices have concentrated on developing the proper stance for a batter to adopt when swinging a bat against a ball. Other devices have been developed to correct errors in the batter's stance. For example a device has been proposed to restrain the batter's rear foot, that is the foot furthest from the pitching mound, to pivotal movement. Other proposals that are illustrative of these devices suggested for training a batter in the proper stance or correcting errors in the stance hobble together both of the batter's ankles or further restrict movement of the batter's rear foot.

Nevertheless, “flinching,” or involuntarily stepping away from a pitched ball coming through the strike zone¹ can ruin what might have been a well-hit ball, or to miss the ball entirely. The “strike zone” is the area over home plate, between the batter's knees and armpits, through which the ball must be pitched for a strike to be called by the umpire.

Consequently, there is an unsatisfied need to provide an apparatus that will enable a batter to overcome an involuntary reflex to “flinch” or step back from a fast ball that is coming through the strike zone. For safety's sake, however, the apparatus must not prevent the batter from being able to duck away from a ball that is outside the strike zone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These and other unsatisfied needs that have characterized the prior art are fulfilled to a great extent through the practice of the invention.

For example an ankle strap is placed around the batter's forward ankle, that is the ankle closest to the pitcher's mound. The strap is linked through a line placed over home plate to a movable weight on the side of home plate opposite the batter.

As a ball is coming through the strike zone the batter's involuntary reflex acting to draw his forward foot back from the ball is overcome by the weight attached to the batter's forward ankle. Through practice with this apparatus the batter eventually overcomes or at least learns to cope with the involuntary reflex that otherwise would cause him to flinch and ruin his swing at the ball.

Careful observation of some batters, who have been conditioned to overcome this involuntary reflex of drawing the forward foot away from home plate, shows that they transfer this involuntary reflex to the rear foot! Other batters, it has been found, will draw both feet away from their proper position at home plate. In either event, the swing at the ball is ruined or at least degraded.

Consequently, the apparatus that characterizes the invention can be adapted to condition the batter to restrain this undesirable involuntary movement of the forward foot, the rear foot, or both feet.

To prevent injury the batter also must be able to move swiftly in a manner that will avoid being hit by a ball outside of the strike zone. The movable weight (or weights), although, sufficient to restraint involuntary movement of the batter's ankle or ankles can not be so great as to prevent the batter from overcoming the movable weight in order to duck a ball outside of the strike zone.

For a more complete appreciation of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when taken with the figures of the drawing. The scope of the invention, however, is limited only through the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a perspective view of the typical embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in FIG. 1 a typical embodiment of the invention has a movable weight 10 shown as a canvas sack 11 loaded with sand (not shown in the drawing). The weight of sand in the sack 11 varies according to age, size, weight and physical conditioning of a batter 12. It has been found, for example, that for a 9 year old boy about 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 75 pounds and in good physical condition, for the purpose of the invention a weight 10 of about twenty pounds is satisfactory. Thus, in this exemplary embodiment of the invention the sack 11 is filled with about twenty pounds of sand.

The sack 11 is opened and closed by nylon strapping and a Dee ring 13, of which Unicorn Stainless, Inc. Item No. S 0139-X540 or Item No. S 0139-X525 is preferred. A spring clip and eye 14 (Unicorn Stainless, Inc. Item No. S 0121-0050) couples the Dee ring 13, through a loop 18 formed at an end of a line, such as black wire rope cable 16, (preferably ⅛ inch Unicorn Stainless, Inc. Item No. S 0709-0103). A ferrule 15 (preferably a 3/16 inch aluminum cable sleeve ferrule, Forney Co. Item No. 61038) moreover, clamps the bitter end of the cable 16 to the body of the cable 16 in order to secure the loop 18. Note that the end of the cable 16 is doubled back on itself to form a loop 18.

The cable 16 is placed over a regulation home plate 17 to a cable end 20 which is joined through a loop 19 formed by another ferrule 21 to a further spring clip and eye 22.

Forward ankle 23 of the batter 12, that is, the ankle 23 that is closest to the pitcher's mound (not shown in the drawing) is restrained through an ankle restraint or an ankle strap 24 that encircles the ankle 23 of the batter 12. A Champion Barbell Nylon Ankle Strap No. 1101263 has been found to be quite satisfactory for the purpose of the invention. A coupling 25 on the ankle strap 24 joins the ankle 23 and the ankle strap 24 through the spring clip and eye 22, the loop 19 and the cable 16 to the weighted sack 11. Note in passing, moreover, that the length of the cable 16 can vary, but should be sufficient to extend from the forward ankle 23 (shown in the drawing on a mat 26 that simulates the customary batter's box beside the home plate 17) to a short distance beyond the home plate 17 on the side of the home plate 17 that is opposite to the batter 12.

In operation, the sack 11 is filled with sand or other suitable material to a weight appropriate to the physique of the batter 12. The sack 11 is closed by the Dee ring 13. The cable 16 and the loop 18 are attached through the spring clip 14 to the Dee ring 13. The sack 11 is placed on the ground, usually in the unused batter's box (not shown in the drawing) and the central portion of the cable 16 is placed over the home plate 17. The loop 19 on the cable end 20 is connected through the spring clip 22 to the coupling 25 on the ankle strap 24 and the ankle strap 24 is wrapped around the forward ankle 23 of the batter 12.

The batter 12 assumes a batter's stance and a baseball (not shown in the drawing) is fast pitched toward the batter's strike zone. An inexperienced batter 12 (and, perhaps some experienced batters) on seeing the fast ball coming toward the strike zone involuntarily attempts to draw the forward ankle 23 away from the home plate 17. The weighted sack 11, however, restrains or impedes this involuntary muscular reaction and keeps the forward ankle 23 in its proper position relative to the home plate 17. After repeated experiences with fast balls, the batter 12 eventually learns to overcome, suppress or cope with this involuntary reflex and thus improve batting technique.

Consider now, a wild pitch in which a fast ball is coming at the batter 12 not only low, between the batter's knee 27 and the ankle 23, but also “inside.” In this circumstance an “inside” ball would cross between the edge of the home plate 17 that is closest to the batter 12 and the person of the batter 12. In this circumstance the batter 12 must duck away from the ball, voluntarily using his leg muscles to jump or fall backwards in order to avoid being injured by the ball. Consequently, the weight of the sack and its frictional resistance with the ground must not prevent the batter 12 from executing his voluntary reflex in drawing himself away from the home plate 17. Thus, in accordance with a salient feature of the invention the movable weight 10 is not only sufficient to train the batter 12 to overcome the involuntary “flinching” reflex but also to enable the batter 12 swiftly to drag the sack 11 toward the home plate 17 and to duck away From the ball in order to avoid injury.

Turning now to FIG. 2 a further embodiment of the invention is shown that enables the batter 12 to overcome the involuntary reflex that would draw rear ankle 30 away from the home plate 17 in response to a fast ball coming through the strike zone.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear ankle 30, the ankle furthest from the pitcher's mound, also is restrained through an ankle restraint or ankle strap 31 that encircles the ankle 30 of the batter 12. Coupling 32 on the ankle strap 31 joins the rear ankle 30 and the ankle strap 31 through spring clip and eye 33, a loop 34 and line or cable 35 to the weighted sack 11.

The loop 34 in the cable 35, moreover, is formed at the bitter end of the cable 35 through a ferrule 38. At the sack 11 the end of the cable 35 is doubled back and secured by another ferrule 36 to form still another loop 37 that couples the cable 35 to the sack 11 through the spring clip and eye 14 and the Dee ring 13.

Because both of the ankles 23 and 30 are now joined to the weighted sack it may be necessary to increase the weight within the sack 11 to restrain the movement of the involuntary reflex applied by both of the ankles 23 and 30 while nevertheless enabling the batter 12 to duck away from wild pitches.

With respect to FIG. 3, to restrain movement away from the home plate 17 not only by the forward ankle 23, but also by rear ankle 40, the entire apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the ankle 23 is duplicated for attachment to the ankle 40. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, ankle strap 41 joins the ankle 40 to weighted sack 42 through a successive sequence of connections that include a coupling 43 on the strap 41 secured to spring clip and eye 44, a loop 45 at the bitter end of a line, or cable 46, a loop 47 formed in the opposite bitter end of the cable 46 that engages another spring clip and eye 50 coupled to a Dee ring 51 in the strap to complete the structure for connecting the rear ankle 40 to the weighted sack 42.

The weights in the two sacks 11 and 42, moreover, can be balanced to provide adequate restraint for both of the ankles 23 and 40 while enabling the batter 12 to duck safely away from wild pitches. Note, moreover, that either of the two ankle restraint devices can be used together as illustrated in FIG. 3; used separately with the forward ankle 23 (FIG. 1); or used only to restrain the rear ankle 40. 

1. A batting trainer for conditioning a batter to overcome an involuntary reflex to draw an ankle away from a ball in the strike zone comprising a movable weight, a line for coupling to said movable weight, an ankle restraint for the ankle, and means for coupling said ankle restraint to said line and said movable weight to overcome the batter's involuntary reflex to draw the ankle away from the ball.
 2. A batting trainer according to claim 1 for enabling the batter to duck a ball outside of the strike zone wherein said movable weight further comprises a weight that enables the batter to voluntarily exercise muscles and reflexes to move said weight to permit the batter to duck the ball.
 3. A batting trainer according to claim 1 wherein said line coupling further comprises a Dee ring for attachment to said movable weight, a spring clip for coupling to said Dee ring, a loop on said line for engagement with said spring clip, an ankle restraint, a spring clip for attachment to said ankle restraint and another loop on said line for engagement with said ankle restraint spring clip.
 4. A batting trainer according to claim 1 wherein said movable weight further comprises a sack.
 5. A batting trainer according to claim 4 wherein said sack encloses a weight of about twenty pounds.
 6. A batting trainer for conditioning a batter to overcome an involuntarily reflex to draw the ankle away from a ball coming through the strike zone and avoid impeding the batter from ducking away from a ball outside of the strike zone comprising: a sack, a twenty pound weight within said sack, strapping and a Dee ring for selectively closing said sack, a spring clip and eye for selective attachment to said Dee ring, a cable having a loop formed in an end of said cable and received in said eye on said spring clip; a ferrule engaging the end of said cable in order to form said loop, an ankle strap for binding the ankle, a further loop formed in another end of said cable, a ferrule engaging said cable end in order to form said further loop, another spring clip and eye, said eye receiving said further loop and said another spring clip selectively coupled to said ankle strap.
 7. A batting trainer for conditioning a batter to overcome an involuntary reflex to draw both ankles away from a ball in the strike zone comprising a movable weight, a line for coupling to said movable weight, a first ankle restraint for attachment to one of the ankles, means for coupling said first ankle restraint to said line and said movable weight, another line for coupling to said movable weight, a second ankle restraint for attachment to the other of the ankles, and means for coupling said second ankle restraint to said line and said movable weight.
 8. A batting trainer for conditioning a batter to overcome an involuntary reflex to draw both ankles away from a ball in the strike zone comprising two movable weights, two lines each for coupling to a respective one of said weights, a pair of ankle restraints each for an individual one of the ankles, and means for coupling each of said ankle restraints to a respective one of said two lines and the movable weight coupled to said line. 